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When I met Boris earlier this year he confirmed if he became mayor he would make the freedom pass 24hr. This would be of great benifit to older/ disabled people who have early appointments with health appointments.

As a severely mobility impaired person I am very concerned about the threat to bring back Routemaster buses.

I am pensioner but have also been disabled for many years. It is physically impossible for me to use a Routemaster and the local underground station is inaccessible. I also live on a tourist route which was still served by Routemasters long after they had been replaced elsewhere.

Those Routemasters effectively debarred me from using public transport.

I was almost completely housebound for about twenty years and I got a wheelchair/scooter relatively recently so I am not sure when the mobility buses came into use. When I first saw a bus “kneel” I suspect that I just sat there with my mouth open!

I found out about the ramps by accident. I was sitting talking to a friend who was waiting for a bus and when the driver saw me he extended the ramp when he stopped. The bus even had a space for a wheelchair!

Please don’t replace the mobility buses with Routemasters. I had to give up working long before I reached retirement age and it really is not feasible for mobility impaired people to use Routemasters safely. Taxicards allow disabled users one short return journey weekly and one cannot go to work or to any regular appointment by Dial-a-Ride.

Admittedly, my judgement may be influenced by my own needs but I believe that the mobility buses are a great improvement on the Routemasters.

London is a tourist centre but even tourists can be vulnerable. The stairs on the modern mobility buses are much easier and safer to negotiate and I am told that the view from the upper deck is at least as good.

I fully agree with the comments of Margaret that the old Routemasters were not user friendly for disabled and severely impaired people. However, recent press reports have mentioned that the newly built Routemasters will be user friendly and will provide similar facilities that a mobility bus provides. It will even have a space for a wheelchair and a ramp as well. Perhaps Transport for London or the Mayors Office could provide more information on the introduction of the new Routemasters and the facilties it would offer.

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